Congressman Walter B. Jones

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3) joined Congressmen Chris Collins (NY-27) and Blake Farenthold (TX-27) to introduce legislation that would curb the installation of wind turbines in close proximity to military installations.

Congressmen Jones, Collins, and Farenthold introduced the “Protection of Military Airfields from Wind Turbine Encroachment Act” in an effort to ensure that any new wind turbines built within a 50-mile radius of a military installation will be deemed ineligible for the Wind Production Tax Credit. A companion bill was introduced in the United States Senate by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX).

“We must prioritize the safety of our service members and the operational integrity of our military installations,” said Congressman Walter B. Jones. “Taxpayers have made significant investments in our military facilities in order to provide for our national defense. Those investments and that mission must take precedence. I thank my colleagues, Congressmen Chris Collins and Blake Farenthold, for their work on this important issue.”

“I cannot condone any activity which puts the operations of our military installations at risk,” said Congressman Chris Collins. “Massive wind turbines built in such close proximity to military installations, such as the ones being proposed in Western New York, can negatively impact a base’s daily operations and future viability. This legislation introduces a commonsense solution to protect the vital operations of our country’s military installations.”

“Wind turbines can put our service members in unnecessarily dangerous flying environments,” said Congressman Blake Farenthold. “Military aviators need to focus on flying, not worry about radar failing to pick up other planes. Without this legislation, communities could see a negative impact when military bases are no longer able to carry out their missions.” >>READ FULL BILL

Lt. Gen. Jon M. Davis, the deputy commandant of Marine Corps aviation, is scheduled to speak about the future of Cherry Point and Fleet Readiness Center East during a presentation at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Havelock Tourist and Event Center. >> READ MORE

Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps of Aviation to speak at Havelock Tourist & Event Center

Havelock, NC — Lieutenant General Jon M. Davis, Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps of Aviation has accepted the invitation of ACT and regional leaders to the Havelock Tourist & Event Center on May 17, 2016 at 11:00am to speak to the future of MCAS Cherry Point and Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE).

Lt. Gen. Davis will first tour MCAS Cherry Point and FRCE, both of which face tremendous growth opportunities as the future of Cherry Point relies on the success of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program. As head of Marine Corps Aviation, Lt. Gen. Davis will then shed light on the expectations and realities of what’s in store for Eastern North Carolina over the next several years. “As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am grateful to Lieutenant General Davis for visiting the Third District and for the USMC’s continued commitment to MCAS Cherry Point and FRCE,” said Congressman Walter B. Jones.

MCAS Cherry Point will host the largest fleet of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in the country, as our efforts continue to ensure our base is fully equipped and ready for their arrival, beginning 2022.

ACT and its government affairs team have worked closely with the NC delegation and key members of Congress over the last 24 months to help secure the funds necessary for security enhancements and facility upgrades. “All of us in the Cherry Point community understand how important it is to prepare the air station to receive the maximum number of F-35Bs at the earliest possible time,” said Will Lewis, President of ACT. “Our mission is to press ahead with facilities improvements for as we all learned from the movie Field of Dreams “if you build it they will come.” ACT continues to work with the delegation on many other military construction projects that will enhance the F-35 mission at MCAS Cherry Point and FRC East, he added.

The major tenant command at Cherry Point is FRC East, the nation’s “Vertical Lift Center of Excellence.” FRC East provides maintenance for every fixed wing and rotor winged vertical lift aircraft flown by the USMC and the Navy, as well as provides limited support for other military services and federal agencies. “I greatly appreciated Gen. Davis’s response to my questioning in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee recently of how critical it is that the F-35B Lift Fan Maintenance and Repair facility is built as quickly as possible at FRCE,” said Senator Thom Tillis.

More than 3,500 civilian employees work at FRC East. The replacement value of this facility is at least $1.36 BILLION.

FRC East has access to approximately 100 acres of expansion property with significant room for additional structures and capabilities. This makes Cherry Point attractive for future industrial facility expansion to accommodate growing demands. As our area prepares for this growth, ACT has helped lead programs like the Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) to protect military operational demands and mission changes with regional plans for land use, economic development, infrastructure needs, and environmental sustainability. The community must understand the importance of these ongoing efforts so we can protect and grow MCAS Cherry Point, FRC East and its civilian enterprises. This is ACT’s primary mission.

Over the next 20 years, unprecedented new construction is planned for MCAS Cherry Point and FRC East. $1.3 billion has been requested for new construction and infrastructure improvements at MCAS Cherry Point and $300 million for facility upgrades and new construction at FRC East over the next ten years alone. “I thank Lt. Gen. Davis for his visit on May 17th. I am frequently reminded of what an important national asset MCAS Cherry Point is and the critical role that it plays in defending our nation,” said Senator Richard Burr.

ACT also continues to work closely with the North Carolina Military Affairs Commission, state legislators and Congressmen, as well as various military and local leaders. MCAS Cherry Point and FRC East generate over $2 billion in economic impact annually, so it is necessary to protect these assets not only for our national security, but for our local economic stability.

Attendance to hear Lt. Gen. Jon Davis’ remarks is encouraged to demonstrate our local and regional commitment to MCAS Cherry Point during this pivotal time.

As we celebrate 75 years, we must not forget the importance of this base to our history and look forward to future years of economic growth as a key component of our national security.

Lt. Gen. Davis will make remarks upon celebration of the 75th Anniversary of MCAS Cherry Point and its importance to the future of Marine Corps aviation. Prior to assuming his current position as the Deputy Commandant for Aviation, Headquarters Marine Corps, he commanded the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at MCAS Cherry Point and served as the Deputy Commander, United States Cyber Command.

For more information about the Lt. Gen. Davis and the special event on May 17th, please visit the ACT website at www.alliesforcherrypoint.com.

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Walter B. Jones visited two wounded warriors from the Third District of North Carolina at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. This visit marks the 24th time Congressman Jones has visited Walter Reed since 2003.

“Yesterday I had the honor and privilege to thank two of the Third District’s finest for their service and sacrifice for our country. I visit Walter Reed as often as I can and I never cease to be astounded by the courage of these young service members,” said Congressman Jones. “I was humbled by my visit and am proud to represent a district with so many heroes.”

While at Walter Reed, Congressman Jones also met with the director of the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), which provides service members with an interdisciplinary approach to treating Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and the director of the Inpatient Traumatic Brain Injury/Neuropsychiatry Unit, which is the only inpatient neurobehavioral traumatic brain injury unit in the U.S. military health care system. Congressman Jones has long been an advocate for TBI research, and has introduced H.R. 146, which would enable service members to have access to hyperbaric oxygen therapy at military medical treatment facilities.

PLEASE NOTE

The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by ACT of non-ACT websites or the information, products, or services contained therein. ACT does not exercise editorial control over information on external websites. Such links are provided for your convenience only.